


A Day for First Impressions

by Dreamin



Series: The Adventures of the Two Hearts [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes (1984 TV)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Granada Sherlolly, Older Man/Younger Woman, Pre-Relationship, Victorian (non-TAB) Molly in the Sherlock Holmes (1984) world, historically-accurate misogyny, inferred necrophilia committed by off-screen character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:06:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22569085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin
Summary: Sherlock Holmes meets the new head pathologist at St. Bartholomew's Hospital and is quite impressed.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper
Series: The Adventures of the Two Hearts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1623925
Comments: 30
Kudos: 110





	A Day for First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [afteriwake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/gifts).



> Yeah, this is me eventually marrying Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes to a Victorianized Molly Hooper, but first things first.

John looked up from his book to see his flatmate cutting up a section of the morning newspaper, a normal part of the consulting detective’s daily routine. “What is it you’re filing away this time, Holmes?”

“An article about Dr. Pitney’s arrest at St. Bartholomew’s,” he replied, not looking up from his task. “The reporter is, by necessity, vague about the circumstances, but reading between the lines, one can easily decipher what lead to the ‘good’ doctor’s fall from grace. The trial should be interesting – watching both sides talk around the accused’s alleged crime without actually naming it would be amusing, if it weren’t for the seriousness of it.”

John’s eyebrows shot up his forehead, not an unusual occurrence when one dealt with Sherlock Holmes daily. “Dare I ask what he’s accused of?”

“See if you can make it out.” Sherlock held up the newspaper clipping and read aloud, “‘Dr. Josiah Pitney was found by a colleague committing unnatural acts within the purview of his profession.’”

He pondered it for a moment then shook his head. “I give up, Holmes. What were you able to glean from one odd sentence?”

“Yes, it’s very odd, isn’t it?” Sherlock asked as he glanced at the back of the clipping before filing it away. “I have never met Dr. Pitney, which I regret.”

“Regret?” John echoed, surprised. “Why?”

“If I had met him, I would have known instantly what his proclivities were and this arrest would have happened ages ago.”

“I still don’t understand.”

Sherlock sighed heavily. “Dr. Pitney was caught … mistreating one of his female patients.”

“That’s a shameful abuse of trust but I don’t see why such secrecy-”

He finally looked up at him. “Watson, Dr. Pitney worked in the morgue.”

“Oh. Oh!” The revelation shocked John so, he jumped to his feet as if to get away from the news as fast as possible. “That’s-that’s deplorable! It’s despicable! It’s-it’s monstrous, that’s what it is.”

“I quite agree,” Sherlock said, then he called out, “Do come in, Mrs. Hudson.”

The sitting room door opened and their landlady came into the room, smiling amusedly. “I didn’t even have a chance to knock. A telegram just arrived, Mr. Holmes,” she said, holding it out, “from Inspector Lestrade.”

Before John could reach for it, Sherlock jumped up from his chair and eagerly accepted the telegram then read it aloud. “‘Holmes, You and Watson needed at St. Bartholomew’s morgue. Lestrade’” He looked at John. “It doesn’t seem to be urgent, therefore it’s not a case. Still, it must be a matter of some import if he’s asking for our presence. If it’s the morgue he’s at, then time can’t be of the essence.”

“It’s already run out for someone,” Mrs. Hudson said, smiling a bit.

Sherlock grinned at her. “Indeed, Mrs. Hudson.” He turned to John. “Come along, Watson.” He grabbed his coat and hat and was out the door before John had even a chance to reply.

He caught up to him as Sherlock was getting into a hansom. “I am excessively glad Lestrade asked us to help him at St. Bartholomew’s this week instead of last week.”

John rolled his eyes heavenward. “I’d hide your cheerful mood from the deceased’s family if I were you, Holmes. They might find it rather ghoulish.”

“Wouldn’t be the first,” Sherlock muttered.

* * *

Molly held back as Inspector Lestrade shook hands with the two gentlemen who had just arrived at what she already thought of as her morgue. They were easily identifiable from the illustrations in _The Strand_ – Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. The latter was a pleasantly handsome man but she had to admit that the former was striking.

“The illustrations don’t do you justice, Mr. Holmes,” she blurted out, immediately regretting it since it meant all three pairs of eyes were now on her. Holmes in particular stared at her like she was an interesting new specimen until Watson not quite subtly elbowed the man’s side.

“Is that so?” Holmes asked, a faint smile on his lips.

“Dr. Hooper,” Lestrade said with a polite smile, “I’m sure you’re aware of these gentlemen already but allow me to introduce them anyway – Dr. John Watson and Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Gentlemen, this is Dr. Margaret Hooper.”

Watson’s face lit up as he took her offered hand and shook it a little too vigorously, in her opinion. “Ah, a lady doctor, I’ve always wanted to meet one.”

She winced. “Um, thank you, Dr. Watson. I prefer simply ‘doctor’ over ‘lady doctor,’ if it’s alright with you, that is.”

“Er, yes, of course.” He released her hand, much to her relief.

Holmes then took it, holding her hand in both of his as he assessed her. “I’m certain you’re making your late father proud by following in his footsteps, Dr. Hooper.”

She stared at him for a heartbeat then sighed softly as her nerves vanished. “Thank you, Mr. Holmes.” She smiled weakly. “I’m glad to see your reputation is completely warranted.”

Holmes smirked. “Thank you. Dr. Watson has a tendency to exaggerate at times, but never about my powers of deduction.” He released her hand then turned to Lestrade. “Now, Inspector, as charming as the lady is, I’m certain you didn’t summon Watson and myself all the way here just to introduce us to her.”

“I summoned you to confirm or dispute Dr. Hooper’s findings on the cause of death of,” he checked his notebook, “Mr. Leopold Benton.”

Holmes raised an eyebrow. “Is her word not enough? Unless I am mistaken, she is now St. Bartholomew’s head pathologist, therefore her findings should be the final say on the matter.”

Lestrade hemmed and hawed then, mind apparently made up, he squared his shoulders and looked Holmes in the eye. “I trusted Dr. Pitney and he’s currently awaiting trial. Until I have reason to trust Dr. Hooper’s judgment, I will need the opinions of people-”

“Men, you mean,” Holmes cut in with a knowing smile.

Lestrade rolled his eyes. “Fine, yes, **men** that I do trust.”

Holmes and Watson exchanged a glance then Holmes turned back to Lestrade. “Very well, Dr. Watson and I will examine the corpse, provided Dr. Hooper has no objections.”

Once again, all three men turned to her. She ignored Lestrade’s smug expression and Watson’s open curiosity, focusing instead on Holmes’ entreaty. “I have no objections, I only ask to be present during the examination.”

Watson started to protest. “But, there’ll be a naked man-”

“A man I undressed,” Molly cut in, all but rolling her eyes, “just like I’ve undressed every corpse I’ve examined since medical school. Have no fear for my sensibilities, Dr. Watson – they are safely tucked away at home, along with the fear of blood and corpses in general that all ‘well-bred’ ladies are supposed to have.”

Molly would have been blind to miss the impressed look between Holmes and Watson. It was a small moment of victory, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. She then led the way to the occupied slab at the far side of the room. Pulling back the sheet to Mr. Benton’s waist, she then took a step back to let the consulting detective and former Army doctor have a look.

“He was obviously stabbed in the heart,” Watson said, looking at the wound on the man’s chest. “No one could have survived that, it must be the cause of death.”

“The same conclusion I reached at the crime scene,” Lestrade said. “The man’s valet is in custody.”

“But Dr. Hooper disagrees?” Holmes asked.

“She has a different opinion, yes.”

Molly rolled her eyes. “‘She’ is standing right here, gentlemen.”

“Forgive me,” Holmes murmured to her, then he examined the stab wound. “This cannot be the cause of death – there is no blood from the wound. The stabbing occurred after the man died.”

“Died of what, Holmes?” Watson asked, confused.

Holmes examined the man’s fingernails. “Arsenic, over a period of several months. In small doses, a slow but effective poison.” He looked at Lestrade. “I’d arrest the housekeeper if I were you. It probably stemmed from a dispute over her wages.” Then he turned to Molly, giving her an admittedly charming smile. “I assume that’s the same conclusion you came to.”

She nodded, smiling back shyly. “If the stabbing had killed his man, he still would have bled. I knew there had to be another cause. During a thorough examination, I noticed his fingernails.”

“Yes, lines on the fingernails such as these are a classic sign of arsenic ingestion.” Holmes turned to Lestrade. “I do hope that this confirmation of Dr. Hooper’s findings will lead to you trusting her results without seeking others’ opinions in future, Lestrade.” The inspector mumbled an assent and Holmes turned back to her. “That being said, Dr. Hooper, I hope you will be open to my working exclusively with you on police cases.”

She gaped at him a moment then nodded. “Yes, yes, of course, Mr. Holmes.”

Holmes grinned. “Excellent.” He turned to Dr. Watson. “Come, Watson. A new client will be meeting us at Baker Street shortly and we can’t be late.” He turned back to Molly. “Until next time, Dr. Hooper.” Then he turned to the inspector. “Good day, Inspector.”

“But what about the valet?” Lestrade asked Holmes’ retreating back.

“Charge him with attempted murder,” Holmes called out over his shoulder.

Once they were gone, Lestrade turned to her, smirking. “So, that’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Are you regretting your new post yet?”

Molly grinned. “On the contrary, Inspector – I think it will be most agreeable.”

* * *

After solving the new case without even leaving his sitting room, Sherlock took up his Stradivarius and started improvising a tune John declared to be “pretty and unpretentious” before he left to have dinner with some old friends from the Army. As he played, Sherlock’s thoughts drifted to the young pathologist.

_Dr. Hooper is, of course, the person who walked in on Pitney’s unspeakable act. It’s a testament to her nerves that she returned to St. Bartholomew’s after that and is apparently thriving, not that I was going to bring up that particular subject with her._

_Young, only just turned thirty. Unmarried. With face one might call elfin, if one were being overly-poetic, which of course I am not. Her father died when she was about twelve, her mother is still alive, though seldom seen, possibly because she disapproves of her daughter’s occupation, probably because Dr. Hooper is, again, thirty and unmarried. Well, I say good for her – talent like hers would have been wasted running a household and raising a family._

A mental image arose of Dr. Hooper and some handsome yet utterly boring man surrounded by their children, and a feeling he knew to be jealousy swelled in him. _No, my interest in her is strictly professional._ Shoving the image aside, he turned his mind to other, safer topics, but like a disobedient dog, it kept returning to Dr. Hooper. Fed up, he gave up on playing and went to bed, completely forgetting that he hadn’t had dinner.

Between his empty stomach and his preoccupied mind, it was many hours before he finally fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Mr. Benton's death was inspired by one of my favorite murder mystery movies, _Gosford Park_.


End file.
